Shepherding Love

April 2, 2017 Background Scripture: Psalm 23 Lesson Passage: Psalm 23 How do you prepare to study what might be the most familiar passage of scripture in the Bible besides John 3:16? Psalm 23 is likely the first complete psalm memorized by children in Sunday School over the years. It often finds its way onto funeral programs and is sometimes referenced throughout a funeral service. Perhaps that is one of the reasons it is such an amazing passage of scripture. It talks about the importance of a close relationship with the Lord throughout one’s life and even into the valley of the shadow of death. Put another way, the scope of those six verses of scripture cover a person’s lifetime relationship with the Lord. The appreciation for this psalm can be attributed to the history the Bible provides about the psalm’s writer, David. The Bible presents David as a young man with a very humble personality. He seemed content to obediently obey his father, Jesse, and tend the family’s flock of sheep. This he did while his older brothers were soldiers in Israel’s army. It seems that Jesse could count on David to care for the sheep as well as to run errands for his father when needed. It was while running an errand to carry supplies to his brothers and to assess the state of the brooding conflict between Israel and the Philistines that we learn something about David that his father might not have known. David not only watched over his father’s sheep but he also defended them—with his life! David recounted that on two occasions the flock was endangered by predators. One time it was a lion and the other time it was a bear. Rather than run for his own safety, David used his slingshot to kill both predators and deliver the prey that had been taken. In many respects, David’s menial chore had been more dangerous than that faced by his brothers in the army. Rather than fighting to protect the people of God, the entire army of Israel was running from one Philistine named Goliath. David was able to observe this while on errand to the battle field for their father. David did not behave like a hired laborer over the flock. If so, then he would have run from the danger posed by the predators. David exhibited the characteristics of a good shepherd—he was willing to put his life on the line for the sheep. I think the Shepherd’s Psalm was more than just an inspiration for David but it was biographical. As a sheep, metaphorically speaking, David knew what to expect from the Lord because he understood the shepherd’s responsibility. What David was willing to do to protect his father’s flock, he in turn expected the Lord to do for him. Whatever the sheep needed, the good shepherd would provide—even if it costs him his life. Peace, food, water, protection, and correction were all provided without the need for a request because the shepherd understood what the sheep needed. When the sheep would graze in terrain that was surrounded by predators, there was no need for the sheep to fret because the shepherd was with them. So the flock could comfortably graze even with predators watching. The shepherd led them over a path that was safe for the not so sure-footed sheep. There was never a time when the sheep were without protection. And these good conditions were expected to always be so—forever. Robert C. Hudson March 1, 2017

Restoring Love

March 26, 2017 Background Scripture: Joel 2 Lesson Passage: Joel 2:12, 13, 18, 19, 28 – 32 Today’s lesson affords us a rare opportunity to examine the prophecy of the Prophet Joel as a part of the Sunday School lesson series. Some of Joel’s prophecy seems to parallel that of other writing prophets although there is no evidence in the writing that can be used to establish a date for this prophecy. Joel is only mentioned here in his prophecy and in the Book of Acts where Peter cites his prophecy as an explanation of events that occurred on the Day of Pentecost. Joel sent out a clarion call for the people of God to repent as natural disasters were beginning to affect Judah. The prophet saw in those national disasters God’s judgment against His disobedient children. Not only did he sound the warning because of the coming judgment, but in today’s lesson, he also gave a message of hope. Joel described the restoration that would come for God’s people after the judgment and repentance. It would be difficult for the people of God to see a day of hope in the midst of the judgment. Joel described the judgment as a plague of locusts and cankerworms devouring the vegetation of the land and leaving both man and beasts to suffer. But there was a promised restoration that would come with repentance. All are called upon to repent: young and old, rich and poor, laity and clergy. Such a widespread repentance would cause God to look upon His people with pity and reverse the plague and restore His blessings on them. Even the animals are assured that God’s blessing would be extended to them as well. God promised an abundance of food in the restoration and called for His people to rejoice in Him because of the coming blessings. Even that which was loss will be restored. All of this would prove God’s presence among His people. Their assurance would be in the provisions He makes for them. And then the portion of the prophecy referenced by the Apostle Peter was declared after the prophecy of the physical restoration. God would restore His people spiritually by pouring out His spirit on all flesh. Sons and daughters would prophesy. Old men would be dreamers and young men would be visionaries. Even the lowly workers, servants and handmaids, would be blessed with the Spirit of God upon them. After these events have occurred, then God would give signs and wonders as a warning that the ultimate Day of the Lord was coming. The pouring out of God’s Spirit upon all who place their faith in the finished work of Jesus on Calvary was confirmed by the Apostle Peter. It began on the Day of Pentecost, fifty days after Jesus’ resurrection from the grave. This will continue throughout what we call the Church Age (the time from the day of Pentecost to the Rapture of the church). During the Church Age, all who call upon the name of the Lord will be saved. As a point of clarity, the name of the Lord during the Church Age is Jesus. Jesus declared that he is the only way to God for those seeking salvation. Although the blessing of the Spirit of God is available during this age, only Jesus provides a baptism of the Holy Ghost to those who put their trust in him. It is this baptism that provides a restoration of love. It is in this baptism that one experiences the love of God made available to us through Jesus Christ. It is a restoring love. Robert C. Hudson February 20, 2017

Matchless Love

March 19, 2017 Background Scripture: John 15:1 – 17 Lesson Passage: John 15:1 – 17 John’s account of the gospel includes one of the most informative passages in the Bible relative to the teachings of Jesus within hours of his crucifixion. It covers five chapters and most of the writing is in red for those with a red letter edition of the Bible. Of course the red letters indicate that those words were spoken by Jesus. The passage covers the time between Jesus’ final Passover Supper and his arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus dismissed Judas from the meeting near the beginning of the passage prior to instituting the Lord’s Supper that is detailed in the synoptic accounts of the gospel. Then Jesus poured out his heart to the eleven disciples prior to his crucifixion and death. He discussed and demonstrated what was expected of them in terms of their relationship to each other and their future relationship with him. Today’s lesson text is part of that discourse. There are several major points to be noted in the text of our lesson. Perhaps the last point is most important for understanding the subject of God’s matchless love. Jesus told them that they did not make choice of him but he made choice of them. That point is significant for everything else that he said. He chose them for a unique and very special purpose. Other than their mission assignment, his death would also make available eternal salvation for them and others. As Jesus told them, there were many things he was going to share with them but they could not bear it at that time. Jesus was preparing to demonstrate a love that is truly matchless. He was going to die a sinner’s death so that sinners could live a godly life in eternity. He died to save us when we did not know that we needed to be saved. He did not choose us because we deserved it but rather in spite of us. He chose us for a very specific purpose and that is to become witnesses for him to others who have been chosen and won’t know it until they hear and heed the gospel message even as we did. We can only do this by depending on Jesus to guide us. We must abide in him. He gives us his instructions to guide us. We must allow his words to abide in us. We receive the word of God so that we can have the instructions we need. The Holy Ghost brings to our remembrance Jesus’ instructions at the time when we need it. It is this mutual abiding that displays the matchless love of Christ operating in and through us. Because of the mutual abiding, we are used as instruments of God to be fruitful but it is Jesus who does the work. We are able to bring forth spiritual fruit because Christ is the source from whom we draw life. Each obedient Christian becomes a fruitful branch connected to the life giving true vine, Jesus Christ. Collectively, we are able to do greater works than Jesus accomplished in his three-year ministry because each branch is being sustained and supplied by Jesus. Rather than work through one human body as he did during the three years, he now works through the many bodies which are branches connected to and emanating out of him. Robert C. Hudson February 18, 2017

Great Love

March 12, 2017 Background Scripture: Ephesians 2:1 – 10 Lesson Passage: Ephesians 2:1 – 10 God has an endless supply of mercy for anyone who turns to Him by putting their faith in Jesus Christ. There is no one beyond the reach of God’s grace. This is the heart of the gospel message that Jesus preached. Another poignant message taught by Jesus is that he did not come into this sinful world to call the righteous but the unrighteous to repentance. Put another way, Jesus was born into this sinful world to save sinners from the eternal consequences of their sin. Let’s face it, many of us did not know that we were headed for destruction and yet we were cruising along and enjoying the trip. As we reflect on our lives when we were without Christ, we can clearly see sin and evil controlling us and causing us to become instruments of cruelty and sin. We were slaves to sin and somehow we thought we were in control and free to do as we wanted to do. One of the reasons sin is so deceptive is because Satan is transformed into an angel of light. Satan knows how to control us while making us think that we are in control. He also knows how to make us feel okay even with bad outcomes. We celebrate bad outcomes by having “pity parties”. Satan’s mission in this world is to steal, kill, and destroy. He has been doing it since man lived in the Garden of Eden. God pulled us from that world and delivered us into an eternal kingdom with a bright future. We were spiritually dead and not sensitive to God but God made us spiritually alive in Christ. Now we can see sin as sin because we are spiritually alive in Christ. We see others who are still spiritually dead and trapped in a life that is leading to eternal destruction. They are being controlled by the same spiritual forces that once controlled us. They are just as comfortable with sin as we were once. It is only because of the grace of God that we are not still destined for eternal damnation. God has given us heavenly positions in Christ where we will reign with him throughout eternity. None of this is a result of anything we have done or anything we deserve. I know that it is only the grace of God received through faith in Jesus Christ that has changed our eternal outcome. This is all a demonstration of God’s great love towards us. Throughout eternity, Christians will be the visible demonstration of God’s exceeding riches of grace. We must be careful to never forget that we were delivered from an eternal damnation that we deserved by a loving God who loved us far more than our finite minds can comprehend. With such a great love demonstrated by God in our lives, we ought to be concerned for others and pray that God will change their situation as He did ours. We should also be willing to affirm our love for God by allowing Him to use us to reach others with the message of hope that is embodied in the gospel. God showed great love towards us. We should respond by reflecting that love into the lives of those who are still being controlled by the spiritual forces that once controlled us and caused us to walk in disobedience. Isn’t it time that others learn of God’s great love? Robert C. Hudson February 18, 2017